O g o o o o o



y a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON F. WEBSTER, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 528,196, dated October 30, 1894.

Application filed October 1'7, 1893. Serial No. 488,364. (No model.)

I all? whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON F. WEBSTER, of Brockton, county of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improve ment in Signs, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompany- 1ng drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to signs of the class [C shown and described in United States Patent No. 412,972, dated October 15, 1889,and commonly known as transpositive signs.

The object of the invention is to fasten each sign character to the back or foundation piece by a single fastening entering an opening or recess in the back,the fastening and opening being angular to prevent the swinging of the character and hold it in alignment whatever the position of the back. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in face view a sign embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional detail on an enlarged scale taken through one of the openings Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows one of the thimbles, which I prefer to employ, detached; Fig. 4, an edge View of one of the letters showing the preferred form of fastening device. Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of fastening device; Fig. 6, a modified form of back; Fig. 7, face 0 and edge views of one form of implement by which to remove the letters when desired, and Fig. 8, a modification to be described.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the sign back which may be of any suitable or desired shape, construction, or material, it being provided with one or more, preferably a large number of regularly disposed openings a to receive the fastening devices with which the several letters are provided.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive the back A is preferably of wood, the openings a being preferably in the form of sockets, as best shown in Fig. 2, extending from the face of the back inwardly and ter 4 5 minating a short distance from the rear face of the back leaving the said rear face perfectly plain and unbroken to present an attractive appearance. In these socketlike openings or I prefer to insert a thimble b hav- 50 ing an end I) provided with asquare or other non-circular opening b the face of'the end I) of the thimble being preferably flush with the face of the back A.

O, O, representthe letters, any number of which may be employed and of any desired style, size, construction,or material, the said letters at their rear sides being each preferably provided with a single fastening device 0 adapted to co-operate with the non-circular opening in the back to retain said letters in desired position.

In the construction Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the fastening device there shown consists of a single strip of spring or resilient metal comprising two principal members, one, the more rigid straight member 0' secured to the letter by means of an upturned end 0 preferably counter-sunk in or otherwise secured to the rear face of the letter, the second memher 0 being supported only at the outer end of the member 0' and formed to present a notch 0 between the locking shoulder a and the downturned end 0 When a letter is to be placed in position upon the back the pointed end of the fastening device 0 is inserted inthe non-circular entrance bite one of the openings in the back and the letter pushed bodily toward the face of the back to thereby insert the said fastening device in the said opening, the fastening device being compressed bythe movement of I the yielding member 0 toward the substantially fixed member 0, to enable the shoulder c to pass in back of the end b of the thimble b, the said shoulder as soon as it has entered suffioiently springing down back of the entrance opening in the said end, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby locking the letter securely to the back, the downturned end 0 of the fastening device holding the letter a short distance more than one fastening device for each letter unnecessary. It will also be noticed that the openings 11 in the preferred construction dojnot extend entirely through the back but are in the form of sockets leaving the rear 9 out from the face of the back, although if deside of the back continuous and unbroken, so that it does not present an undesirable or objectionable appearance.

While I prefer the fastening device of the general style shown in Figs. 1 to 4, yet I do not restrict myself to such form of fastening device, for the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the fastening device comprising two members d and d, preferably one only of which is made yielding, as, for instance, the member 01', so that to place the letter in position the end of the member d is inserted in the opening in the back and the letter depressed bodily to bring the inflexible member d down close to or in contact with the flexible or yielding member 01, to permit the enlarged ends d of the said members to be introduced into the opening, the resiliency of the metal of which the fastening is composed acting within the opening to retain the said fastening device in the opening and the letter in position.

In any case the preferred form of fastening device is one so constructed as to be compressed by insertion into a corresponding opening in the back, the resiliency of the metal of which the fastening device is composed thereafter acting to retain said device within the opening and the letter in position.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the back composed of a sheet of metal or other thin material through whichnon-circular,preferablysquare holes e are punched, the use of a back such as shown in Fig. 6 dispensing with the thimbles shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Referring now to Fig. 7, I have shown one form of implement by which to readily remove the letters when desired, the said implement consisting of two handles it, h, pivoted together at h, each terminating in a thin blade if having an overturned end h To use the implement the blades h when opened are passed back of the letter and over and under respectively the fastening devices entering the opening in the back. The operator then presses the handles together causing the two overturned thin ends h to grip the fastening device top and bottom and compress it sufficiently to enable the same to be withdrawn through the non-circular entrance to the opening.

The overturned end a of the fastening device, in Figs. 1 to 4. inclusive, serves to maintain the letter always at the proper distance from the face of the back to enable such an implement to be inserted back of the letter.

It will readily be seen that with a proper number of letters and a back with a sufficient number of perforations or openings in it any reading matter desired for advertising or other purposes may be quickly placed upon the back, the letters being readily attached and removed for the purpose of changing prices, 850., as occasion may require.

. In Fig. 8 I have shown the letter as provided with a rearwardly extended stud m having at its under side a locking shoulder an adapted to drop behind the lower edge of the opening in the end of the thimble m, the latter being provided with a spring m which presses the stud down into locking position.

To remove the letter the same is raised against the action of the spring m until the shoulder m is disengaged from the lower edge of the opening when the stud may be with drawn.

By the term non-circulating openings employed in the claims is meant any opening either in. the form of a socket or one passing completely through the back and which at any point throughout its depth is non-circular in cross-section to thereby co-operate with a proper fastening device to prevent lateral or swinging movement of the letter.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a sign of the class described, a back provided with one or more horizontal series of separated angular openings, and a retaining face in and back of the entrance to each of said openings, combined with one or more characters each provided with a resilient correspondingly angular fastening device comprising two members adapted to be pushed from the front of said back into and to be compressed by the walls of one of said openings, and a locking shoulder on one of the members of said fastening device to co-operate with and atthe back of the retaining face of said opening, the resiliency of said device causing said locking shoulder to spring back of and to remain in locking engagement with said retaining device, to thereby maintain said character positively in position on said back, substantially as described.

2. In a sign of the class described, a back provided with one ormore horizontal series of separate angular openings, and a retaining face in and back of the entrance to each of said openings, combined with one or more characters each provided with a correspondingly angular fastening device adapted to be inserted directly into one of said openings, said device havinga locking shoulder adapted to lodge behind and to co-operate with the retaining face of said opening to maintain the said character in proper position upon said back; a spring to press said locking shoulder laterally or to one side into engagement with said retaining face, compression of said spring disengaging said locking shoulder and retaining device to thereby permit said fastening device to be drawn directly out from said opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLINTON F. WEBSTER.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK L. EMERY, JOHN C. EDWARDS. 

